I'm a HUGE REM fan but they never really sacrificed creativity imho until this album accelerate. Actually in a lot of ways backspacer and accelerate seem like distant cousins to me. I like both, both had crossover hits as first singles... but both might end up being the most forgettable albums in their respective bands catalog.
I find it hard to consider any PJ album forgettable, but especially Backspacer. I just really don't get this lack of creativity crap. This album sounds different than any other album they have done. I personally don't think it sounds like Avocado, despite what others have said. That uniqueness already calls into question this lack of creativity. It would be a hell of a lot more uncreative if they made Ten again.
And at the end of the day I don't really care if it seems uncreative to some. I find myself loving this album more than any new PJ album since Binaural. I can't stop hearing these songs in my head. And just when I think I know which song will be stuck in my head all day at work, it suddenly changes and I find myself singing a completely different song from Backspacer in my head. Sure it doesn't have the guitar solos, but I find it hard to call it uncreative. The band keeps reinventing itself. The problem may not be that the band is no longer creative, it may just be that some people are not receptive to the band's new creativity.
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It's the never-ending debate. Here is what I notice. People who love love love Riot Act, don't like Self Titled or Backspacer. And people who are luke-warm to Riot Act love love love Self Titled and Backspacer. There is no way to please everyone all the time. I think Self Titled and Backspacer are both brilliant and Riot Act would have been if Down, Undone, and Otherside would have been on the record.
Pearl Jam- 60% of the time it works everytime.
...got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul...
I can't belive a band that has made Vitalogy, no code, yeild, riot act has put out these last two albums. I like the new album but its so average compared to what they used to do and are clearly capible of. I know they are maturing but these new songs are so basic and un-original. They have no jams, no guitar solo's (5 seconds does not count) and 3 of these songs were clearly written when eddie was writing into the wild. I like the album as i do self titled but i can't belive it took 3 years to make this. Hopefully they get their creativity back. They seem to be digressing with these last two.
i think they just took time a lot of time off. the record itself only took a few weeks to record.
to me, pearl jam isn't about studio albums anymore. it's about the live show.
i barely ever listen to the studio albums, almost all my listening is to boots. it will be interesting to hear some of these new songs on the upcoming tour
I agree- I think some of these songs will be awseome live and with Johnny Guitar and Force of nature, Mike is going to wail away at the end of them.
...got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul...
I can't belive a band that has made Vitalogy, no code, yeild, riot act has put out these last two albums. I like the new album but its so average compared to what they used to do and are clearly capible of. I know they are maturing but these new songs are so basic and un-original. They have no jams, no guitar solo's (5 seconds does not count) and 3 of these songs were clearly written when eddie was writing into the wild. I like the album as i do self titled but i can't belive it took 3 years to make this. Hopefully they get their creativity back. They seem to be digressing with these last two.
I guess I know what You think about. I share Your feelings...
I miss Mike's solos like I wrote, I miss all the experiments we found in Vitalogy...
But I like to see it this way - this record is different. Maybe really poppy, maybe too easy, maybe not so original, but, again Pearl Jam surprised me. They did it, and though I may feel not satisfied in 100% I am glad They made sth new. Again. There are moments on Backspacer I was really surpriced - bridges in Johnny Guitar and Supersonic, bass in Just Breathe (Jeff? God, He did it perfectly!), Ed's voice - new style I hear, but great.
So finally I got what I expected the most - something new. This is what I love in PJ the most - They are creative,but in different way now than They used to be, so... that's how looks like creativity exactly.
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halszka123@op.pl
the album is growing on me
but I certainly am not a fan of the keyboards (unthought known) or the cliche driven amongst the waves
and having a song that has the same title as a coldplay song...well thats just lame IMHO
That being said, I do believe there is creativity on the record, no question about it.
I don't see the comparisons between Avocado & Backspacer either, i really don't.
Half of the reason i like this one so much is because it feels like such a departure from Avocado. Avocado, for me, was a big mish-mash of totally different & unfinished ideas. (Severed Hand was the main exception to this, it sounds incredible on the album).
It was raw, a surprise after the Yield/Binaural/Riot Act production. But there were too many songs that didn't get off the ground, or that sounded like they were just in the totally wrong key for Ed to sing (Life Wasted, Army), or that they just didnt know how to finish (Inside Job). But, i liked that it was different from other albums, and it sounded good live. Again, all just personal taste.
This album has more nuance and restraint than anything on Avocado to me, and is a far more cohesive album. The guitars are great, and with little structural pieces like Supersonics bridge, Johnny guitar, Unthought Known,and The Ends sudden stop, Im happy with the creativity.The main creativity here to me is from the drums, easily Matts strongest PJ record yet.
It flows much better too from start to finish.
For all the people in disagreement i would like to know what you find creative on this album, This and self titled are the only albums that i feel not atmosphere with their music, even riot act had a haunting atmosphere, these songs just seem like fun rock songs and many bands could do
For all the people in disagreement i would like to know what you find creative on this album, This and self titled are the only albums that i feel not atmosphere with their music, even riot act had a haunting atmosphere, these songs just seem like fun rock songs and many bands could do
I wrote my examples over Your post.
... maybe You have "not right time for PJ music"?
I had it a few years ago. With Binaural and Riot Act. Now I love Riot Act, bu Binaural still waits for the moment
Not 10c member? Have sth to say? write to me - I'll put it on the forum
halszka123@op.pl
For all the people in disagreement i would like to know what you find creative on this album, This and self titled are the only albums that i feel not atmosphere with their music, even riot act had a haunting atmosphere, these songs just seem like fun rock songs and many bands could do
Binaural and Riot Act were Atmospheric gems. The last 2 have ZERO atmosphere, not sure if thats the production or the band... but these songs on Backspacer don't exactly scream out for atmospheric production.
i just feel that this album could have been the 2nd disc to the self titled. its cool that they try new things, new directions, and are "maturing"... hey, it worked for zeppelin. i just think this album was a let down cause it sounded too much like self titled, and i was hoping they'd sound different than that. i really wasnt too into it. though i think this album is much more well written, and i like the songs a lot more (except for come back.. donno, cant explain that one) and i, as a guitar solo lover, really feel the absence of mike presence in this album. and not to mention the fact that their stage presence is nothing like it used to be. old age, that goes without saying, obviously. my only point is that i miss it more and its just a let down. even though i know what to excpect, i still cant help but feel the difference. its hard to see your favorite bands get old. im pretty sure once the hype dies down this cd will just lie on top of self titled and only come out once in a while.
That's interesting. I think this sounds as far removed from S/T as Ten does. This is a much more user-friendly album than S/T, IMO. No politics at least in the forefront, much more sweet and tender. Has a bunch of stuff on there that is pleasant to listen to and others that kick my butt. Reminds me of late Zeppelin and how they matured. I really enjoy it. But everyone does not have to feel the way I do.
For all the people in disagreement i would like to know what you find creative on this album, This and self titled are the only albums that i feel not atmosphere with their music, even riot act had a haunting atmosphere, these songs just seem like fun rock songs and many bands could do
Binaural and Riot Act were Atmospheric gems. The last 2 have ZERO atmosphere, not sure if thats the production or the band... but these songs on Backspacer don't exactly scream out for atmospheric production.
That's pretty close to how I feel too. Aside from several songs on it, the album also doesn't sound like a cohesive album to me. It just feels like a collection of fairly straight foward, poppy rock (aside from the beginning of the album, which I think is pretty strong - GSMF-The Fixer).
Post edited by yosi on
you couldn't swing if you were hangin' from a palm tree in a hurricane
I'd expect any Pearl Jam fan to be listening the last 30 seconds of Gonna See My Friend waiting for Mike to unleash all bloody hell fire and wah wah damnation on that shit - the fact that this doesn't happen is why this album is genius.
I can't belive a band that has made Vitalogy, no code, yeild, riot act has put out these last two albums. I like the new album but its so average compared to what they used to do and are clearly capible of. I know they are maturing but these new songs are so basic and un-original. They have no jams, no guitar solo's (5 seconds does not count) and 3 of these songs were clearly written when eddie was writing into the wild. I like the album as i do self titled but i can't belive it took 3 years to make this. Hopefully they get their creativity back. They seem to be digressing with these last two.
Of all the albums, Riot Act is the one that is bereft of creativity.
CropDuster, Ghost, Get Right, Save you & LBC have very little imagination at all.
CropDuster, Ghost, Get Right, Save you & LBC have very little imagination at all.
So very, very wrong. All those songs are better than anything on Backspacer with the exception of maybe Got Some.
I agree with the exception of Get Right which seems like type of song that would be on backspacer (ie supersonic/GSMF) but I like get right better than both of those due to a great guitar solo and EV delivering better vocals.
Riot Act has aged very well with me. It really captures that era quite well in it understatement and united themes and sounds. Riot Act is like a novel. Backspacer is like an entertaining comic book with some insights.
OP mentioned the last 2 albums and I've gotta saw that although both are slightly flawed, Avocado is incredibly creative, full of big solos (which you mentioned in the original post) and expansive lyrical and musical content.
Okay, Backspacer is short, concise and punchy. S/T is huge and layered and atmospheric. Lyrically they are both wonderful but from polar opposite viewpoints. Between those two albums you have about as much creativity as most bands could hope for in an entire career.
ummmmm wow people are really going ape in this thread aren't they??
Let's see here.....ummm.....Pearl Jam's creativity.....where is it???
hmmmm well they wrote the music and short of a couple of songs having similar cords to other songs that being Superonic and Just Breathe they all have a distinct sound of there own. I think that's pretty creative.
Eddie Vedders lyrics (which i'm glad for once don't have a full on politcal agenda to them, not that i dont love those songs its just nice to have more "creativeness" in there) are some of the best most heart felt lyrics he's writen.
Oh it's also nice to see Edde Vedder doing more with his voice as far as singing goes it beats tryinng to push out vocal style that he had 20 years ago with no luck. Unthought Known is a song that shows this off amazingly and has quickly become my favorite song on the album. Listen to this song and tell me its not creative. Music (from all the band members), lyrics & Vedders voice....how more creative can you get.
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I said it before. The Pearl Jam elitist is going to have big problems with Backspacer.
it was the same thing on the last album too. I just don't get how after all these years and all these albums that people don't understand that Pearl Jam will never make another album that sounds like Ten or any other previous album. They're always different, and actually today I was thinking about how many times over the years I've played PJ tracks for people and they've said "this is Pearl Jam???" and it would be a song from like Vitalogy or Vs lol.
i consider myself a PJ elitist, and i love this fucking record. i love S/T also. i can say i have loved every album they have put out for different reasons.
i think this album will age well , IMHO.
and i cant understand how PJ "fans" cant love this record.
if this album is a lack of creativity, so be it. lol i still love it.
Peace, Love.
"To question your government is not unpatriotic --
to not question your government is unpatriotic."
-- Sen. Chuck Hagel
OP mentioned the last 2 albums and I've gotta saw that although both are slightly flawed, Avocado is incredibly creative, full of big solos (which you mentioned in the original post) and expansive lyrical and musical content.
Okay, Backspacer is short, concise and punchy. S/T is huge and layered and atmospheric. Lyrically they are both wonderful but from polar opposite viewpoints. Between those two albums you have about as much creativity as most bands could hope for in an entire career.
agreed. well said.
Peace, Love.
"To question your government is not unpatriotic --
to not question your government is unpatriotic."
-- Sen. Chuck Hagel
I can't belive a band that has made Vitalogy, no code, yeild, riot act has put out these last two albums. I like the new album but its so average compared to what they used to do and are clearly capible of. I know they are maturing but these new songs are so basic and un-original. They have no jams, no guitar solo's (5 seconds does not count) and 3 of these songs were clearly written when eddie was writing into the wild. I like the album as i do self titled but i can't belive it took 3 years to make this. Hopefully they get their creativity back. They seem to be digressing with these last two.
maybe you just lack the insight of noticing creativity in a band that undoubtedly delivered creativity in the new album. also, too many people on this board make a judgement on an album that just came out.
I died. I died and you just stood there. I died and you watched. I died and you walked by and said no. I'm dead.
That's pretty close to how I feel too. Aside from me not several songs on it, the album also doesn't sound like a cohesive album to me. It just feels like a collection of fairly straight foward, poppy rock (aside from the beginning of the album, which I think is pretty strong - GSMF-The Fixer).
Its an 80's influenced pop-rock album. Thats the concept they had for the album, and they nailed it. Its not like they picked Usher's producer, this is the same guy who produced Vs. They gave him the power to soup it up and make it a pop album. If this is what the band turned into after vitalogy and just decided to sell out the rest of thier career, that would suck. But no, it was an idea they had for 1 out of their 9 albums, and the next album will be another hard right turn. Thats Pearl Jam. Accept the album for what it is, and then you will be able to appreciate the nuance and subtle beauty of the production.
That's pretty close to how I feel too. Aside from several songs on it, the album also doesn't sound like a cohesive album to me. It just feels like a collection of fairly straight foward, poppy rock (aside from the beginning of the album, which I think is pretty strong - GSMF-The Fixer).
Its an 80's influenced pop-rock album. Thats the concept they had for the album, and they nailed it. Its not like they picked Usher's producer, this is the same guy who produced Vs. They gave him the power to soup it up and make it a pop album. If this is what the band turned into after vitalogy and just decided to sell out the rest of thier career, that would suck. But no, it was an idea they had for 1 out of their 9 albums, and the next album will be another hard right turn. Thats Pearl Jam. Accept the album for what it is, and then you will be able to appreciate the nuance and subtle beauty of the production.
I think I do accept it for what it is. It just so happens that what it is doesn't happen to grab me all that much. And I'm not saying the band doesn't have the right to do that, etc. They can do whatever they want and that's fine, but I'm going to like somethings better than others, and I'm going to have an opinion on whatever it is they do (at least musically).
you couldn't swing if you were hangin' from a palm tree in a hurricane
I think the album is more "pop" than anything else they've ever done and it's not said as a bad thing. Backspacer is different than the other albums and once again they've proved they're evolving and they're not trapped in the past, if they ever were. I don't understand why they had to rearrange Speed of Sound tho, the acoustic sounded just perfect.
Gonna See My Friend is a cool opener, I like Got Some a lot and The Fixer live is great, less on the album.
Just Breathe they forgot to include it in Into The Wild and now it's on Backspacer but it doesn't really fit into it as much as it could on Ed's score for the movie.
I think Amongst The Waves is a beautiful song, I listened to it for the first time on Phantom FM last week and I loved it immediately. I also like the fact that the song I probably like the most on Backspacer is a Stone's song.
Johnny Guitar and Supersonic are great punk-rockers and have actually great rock titles and I am looking forward to the respective live versions.
I think Unthought Known and Force Of Nature don't really sound like Pearl Jam but then again some numbers on No Code and Riot Act don't sound like Pearl Jam either and still manage to be great songs.
I agree with whoever said they would like to hear more Mike. Matt is solid, Jeff is great and Eddie's voice is blowing me away as always... but Mike doesn't seem to have a lot of space on the album. On "Pearl Jam" he was more present and I liked it. The solo in Got Some is great and classic and I love it but it's not enough. I like Inside Job better than Force Of Nature.
In my opinion Brendan O'Brien is overdoing a bit in this record. I'm not a fan of strings or horns on a PJ album. When I want strings I listen to Sigur Ros. A little piano or keyboard here and there is ok but on Backspacer it's a bit too much for my liking. If I really have to find something not good to say about Backspacer is that O'Brien tarted it up a bit and the guys let him.
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I think the album is more "pop" than anything else they've ever done and it's not said as a bad thing. Backspacer is different than the other albums and once again they've proved they're evolving and they're not trapped in the past, if they ever were. I don't understand why they had to rearrange Speed of Sound tho, the acoustic sounded just perfect.
Gonna See My Friend is a cool opener, I like Got Some a lot and The Fixer live is great, less on the album.
Just Breathe they forgot to include it in Into The Wild and now it's on Backspacer but it doesn't really fit into it as much as it could on Ed's score for the movie.
I think Amongst The Waves is a beautiful song, I listened to it for the first time on Phantom FM last week and I loved it immediately. I also like the fact that the song I probably like the most on Backspacer is a Stone's song.
Johnny Guitar and Supersonic are great punk-rockers and have actually great rock titles and I am looking forward to the respective live versions.
I think Unthought Known and Force Of Nature don't really sound like Pearl Jam but then again some numbers on No Code and Riot Act don't sound like Pearl Jam either and still manage to be great songs.
I agree with whoever said they would like to hear more Mike. Matt is solid, Jeff is great and Eddie's voice is blowing me away as always... but Mike doesn't seem to have a lot of space on the album. On "Pearl Jam" he was more present and I liked it. The solo in Got Some is great and classic and I love it but it's not enough. I like Inside Job better than Force Of Nature.
In my opinion Brendan O'Brien is overdoing a bit in this record. I'm not a fan of strings or horns on a PJ album. When I want strings I listen to Sigur Ros. A little piano or keyboard here and there is ok but on Backspacer it's a bit too much for my liking. If I really have to find something not good to say about Backspacer is that O'Brien tarted it up a bit and the guys let him.
I agree. when I hear that piano sound in Speed of Sound - is it even piano, i dunno? I just cant help thinking about a cheesy backgrounbd song in a miami vice episode ala 1986.
Comments
I find it hard to consider any PJ album forgettable, but especially Backspacer. I just really don't get this lack of creativity crap. This album sounds different than any other album they have done. I personally don't think it sounds like Avocado, despite what others have said. That uniqueness already calls into question this lack of creativity. It would be a hell of a lot more uncreative if they made Ten again.
And at the end of the day I don't really care if it seems uncreative to some. I find myself loving this album more than any new PJ album since Binaural. I can't stop hearing these songs in my head. And just when I think I know which song will be stuck in my head all day at work, it suddenly changes and I find myself singing a completely different song from Backspacer in my head. Sure it doesn't have the guitar solos, but I find it hard to call it uncreative. The band keeps reinventing itself. The problem may not be that the band is no longer creative, it may just be that some people are not receptive to the band's new creativity.
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Pearl Jam- 60% of the time it works everytime.
i think they just took time a lot of time off. the record itself only took a few weeks to record.
I agree- I think some of these songs will be awseome live and with Johnny Guitar and Force of nature, Mike is going to wail away at the end of them.
Couldn't agree more. I want to here more Mike...
I miss Mike's solos like I wrote, I miss all the experiments we found in Vitalogy...
But I like to see it this way - this record is different. Maybe really poppy, maybe too easy, maybe not so original, but, again Pearl Jam surprised me. They did it, and though I may feel not satisfied in 100% I am glad They made sth new. Again. There are moments on Backspacer I was really surpriced - bridges in Johnny Guitar and Supersonic, bass in Just Breathe (Jeff? God, He did it perfectly!), Ed's voice - new style I hear, but great.
So finally I got what I expected the most - something new. This is what I love in PJ the most - They are creative,but in different way now than They used to be, so... that's how looks like creativity exactly.
halszka123@op.pl
but I certainly am not a fan of the keyboards (unthought known) or the cliche driven amongst the waves
and having a song that has the same title as a coldplay song...well thats just lame IMHO
That being said, I do believe there is creativity on the record, no question about it.
Half of the reason i like this one so much is because it feels like such a departure from Avocado. Avocado, for me, was a big mish-mash of totally different & unfinished ideas. (Severed Hand was the main exception to this, it sounds incredible on the album).
It was raw, a surprise after the Yield/Binaural/Riot Act production. But there were too many songs that didn't get off the ground, or that sounded like they were just in the totally wrong key for Ed to sing (Life Wasted, Army), or that they just didnt know how to finish (Inside Job). But, i liked that it was different from other albums, and it sounded good live. Again, all just personal taste.
This album has more nuance and restraint than anything on Avocado to me, and is a far more cohesive album. The guitars are great, and with little structural pieces like Supersonics bridge, Johnny guitar, Unthought Known,and The Ends sudden stop, Im happy with the creativity.The main creativity here to me is from the drums, easily Matts strongest PJ record yet.
It flows much better too from start to finish.
I wrote my examples over Your post.
... maybe You have "not right time for PJ music"?
I had it a few years ago. With Binaural and Riot Act. Now I love Riot Act, bu Binaural still waits for the moment
halszka123@op.pl
Binaural and Riot Act were Atmospheric gems. The last 2 have ZERO atmosphere, not sure if thats the production or the band... but these songs on Backspacer don't exactly scream out for atmospheric production.
That's pretty close to how I feel too. Aside from several songs on it, the album also doesn't sound like a cohesive album to me. It just feels like a collection of fairly straight foward, poppy rock (aside from the beginning of the album, which I think is pretty strong - GSMF-The Fixer).
CropDuster, Ghost, Get Right, Save you & LBC have very little imagination at all.
So very, very wrong. All those songs are better than anything on Backspacer with the exception of maybe Got Some.
I agree with the exception of Get Right which seems like type of song that would be on backspacer (ie supersonic/GSMF) but I like get right better than both of those due to a great guitar solo and EV delivering better vocals.
Riot Act has aged very well with me. It really captures that era quite well in it understatement and united themes and sounds. Riot Act is like a novel. Backspacer is like an entertaining comic book with some insights.
Okay, Backspacer is short, concise and punchy. S/T is huge and layered and atmospheric. Lyrically they are both wonderful but from polar opposite viewpoints. Between those two albums you have about as much creativity as most bands could hope for in an entire career.
It sure seems like it. But to each his own at least we can both agree that we love Pearl Jam.
Let's see here.....ummm.....Pearl Jam's creativity.....where is it???
hmmmm well they wrote the music and short of a couple of songs having similar cords to other songs that being Superonic and Just Breathe they all have a distinct sound of there own. I think that's pretty creative.
Eddie Vedders lyrics (which i'm glad for once don't have a full on politcal agenda to them, not that i dont love those songs its just nice to have more "creativeness" in there) are some of the best most heart felt lyrics he's writen.
Oh it's also nice to see Edde Vedder doing more with his voice as far as singing goes it beats tryinng to push out vocal style that he had 20 years ago with no luck. Unthought Known is a song that shows this off amazingly and has quickly become my favorite song on the album. Listen to this song and tell me its not creative. Music (from all the band members), lyrics & Vedders voice....how more creative can you get.
your words are golden!!!
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i consider myself a PJ elitist, and i love this fucking record. i love S/T also. i can say i have loved every album they have put out for different reasons.
i think this album will age well , IMHO.
and i cant understand how PJ "fans" cant love this record.
if this album is a lack of creativity, so be it. lol i still love it.
"To question your government is not unpatriotic --
to not question your government is unpatriotic."
-- Sen. Chuck Hagel
agreed. well said.
"To question your government is not unpatriotic --
to not question your government is unpatriotic."
-- Sen. Chuck Hagel
maybe you just lack the insight of noticing creativity in a band that undoubtedly delivered creativity in the new album. also, too many people on this board make a judgement on an album that just came out.
Its an 80's influenced pop-rock album. Thats the concept they had for the album, and they nailed it. Its not like they picked Usher's producer, this is the same guy who produced Vs. They gave him the power to soup it up and make it a pop album. If this is what the band turned into after vitalogy and just decided to sell out the rest of thier career, that would suck. But no, it was an idea they had for 1 out of their 9 albums, and the next album will be another hard right turn. Thats Pearl Jam. Accept the album for what it is, and then you will be able to appreciate the nuance and subtle beauty of the production.
I think I do accept it for what it is. It just so happens that what it is doesn't happen to grab me all that much. And I'm not saying the band doesn't have the right to do that, etc. They can do whatever they want and that's fine, but I'm going to like somethings better than others, and I'm going to have an opinion on whatever it is they do (at least musically).
Gonna See My Friend is a cool opener, I like Got Some a lot and The Fixer live is great, less on the album.
Just Breathe they forgot to include it in Into The Wild and now it's on Backspacer but it doesn't really fit into it as much as it could on Ed's score for the movie.
I think Amongst The Waves is a beautiful song, I listened to it for the first time on Phantom FM last week and I loved it immediately. I also like the fact that the song I probably like the most on Backspacer is a Stone's song.
Johnny Guitar and Supersonic are great punk-rockers and have actually great rock titles and I am looking forward to the respective live versions.
I think Unthought Known and Force Of Nature don't really sound like Pearl Jam but then again some numbers on No Code and Riot Act don't sound like Pearl Jam either and still manage to be great songs.
I agree with whoever said they would like to hear more Mike. Matt is solid, Jeff is great and Eddie's voice is blowing me away as always... but Mike doesn't seem to have a lot of space on the album. On "Pearl Jam" he was more present and I liked it. The solo in Got Some is great and classic and I love it but it's not enough. I like Inside Job better than Force Of Nature.
In my opinion Brendan O'Brien is overdoing a bit in this record. I'm not a fan of strings or horns on a PJ album. When I want strings I listen to Sigur Ros. A little piano or keyboard here and there is ok but on Backspacer it's a bit too much for my liking. If I really have to find something not good to say about Backspacer is that O'Brien tarted it up a bit and the guys let him.
I agree. when I hear that piano sound in Speed of Sound - is it even piano, i dunno? I just cant help thinking about a cheesy backgrounbd song in a miami vice episode ala 1986.